Drug czar endorses naloxone to curb overdose deaths

White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske is calling for increased action to prevent drug overdose deaths, specifically through wider distribution of the life-saving opioid overdose reverser naloxone. Speaking Wednesday at a North Carolina overdose-prevention program, Kerlikowske expressed support for broadening access to naloxone, noting that the odds of surviving an overdose depend on how quickly the victim receives treatment, according to this article.

The state’s drug overdose prevention program – which also includes physician and patient training – has reduced overdose deaths by 69% in two years, according to community leaders.

Although opiate overdoses are on the rise, many people still don’t know about naloxone, which literally reverses the dangerous effects of taking too much OxyContin or heroin by counteracting the depression of the central nervous system and respiratory system.

Earlier this year, the Drug Policy Alliance, a group that seeks to advance policies that reduce the harms of both drug use and drug prohibition, said in a policy brief that naloxone’s status as a prescription drug is one of the key barriers to broader access. And due to its status as a generic medication, producing it does not yield substantial profits, so many pharmaceutical companies are unwilling to manufacture it, the organization noted.

In April, the Food and Drug Administration held a public hearing to discuss making naloxone available over the counter.

Learn more about what to do in the event of an opiate overdose here (courtesy of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene), or watch the video below to learn more about Narcan administration. Or contact The DOPE Project.

About Erin Marie Daly

I’m a freelance journalist based in San Francisco. My book on prescription drug and heroin addiction was published in August 2014 by Counterpoint Press.